Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

A hybrid electric vehicle, or full hybrid, combines a combustion engine with an electric motor and small battery charged by the engine and braking, not by plugging in.

What is Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)?

The Toyota Prius popularised full hybrids.

Related terms

• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
• Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV)
• Regenerative Braking

← All Electric Vehicles definitions · ← Back to the A–Z definitions